Best year for AOR and westcoast

[KimHP]

In your opinion, what was the best year for AOR and westcoast music? My vote goes for 1983 which had many killer releases. How about these for starters:

Arcangel - s/t
Asia - Alpha
The Automatix - Night Rider
Michael Bolton - s/t
B.E. Taylor Group - Love Won The Fight
Charlie - s/t
Cobra - First Strike
I-Ten - Taking A Cold Look
Journey - Frontiers
Kansas - Drastic Measures
Myron Kline - Don't Say Goodbye (EP)
Le Roux - So Fired Up
Link - Temptation (EP)
Loverboy - Keep It Up
Magnum (US) - Hot Nights (EP)
Chris Mancini - No Strings
Night Ranger - Midnight Madness
Orphan - Lonely At Night
Preview - s/t
Prototype - s/t
Ron Bolton Band - s/t
Sharp Edges - Slice Of Life
Shelter - First Stop
Shooting Star - Burning
Steel Breeze - Heart On The Line
Streets - 1st
Survivor - Caught In The Game
Thrills - 3
Toronto - Girls Night Out
The Tubes - Outside Inside
Windfall - s/t (EP)
Witness - s/t (EP)
Wrabit - West Side Kid

More?

[tommyhej]

My favorite year is 1981 (and I guess it'll always be). I just love the sound/production of the many great Westcoast albums that were released that year.

[Kenneth Bremer]

1978 - 1983 were some golden west coast music years :-)

[sven86]

I think Westcoast's best years were around 1978-1982, being 1981 was the pinnacle. Gino Vannelli, Duke/Clarke Project, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Stevie Wood, Champaign, Bill Champlin, Bill LaBounty, etc.

[André Lindberg]

I also go for 1981 (But any year from 1978 to 1984 works fine with me). Around 1981, the productions were very slick and stylish, but yet not sounding too digital. My album highpoints: Al Jarreau - Breakin' Away, Byrne & Barnes - An Eye for An Eye and Pages - Pages (1981).

[KimHP]

Dwayne Ford - Needless Freaking and The Tubes - Complete Backward Principle are two other westcoast goodies from '81 :)